# People of the Middle Realm

The following document provides an overview of the playable races and their respective cultures for the world of *An Empire Long United*. While these are the races most familiar to fans of Dungeons & Dragons or other fantasy stories, this world features distinct variations and reinterpretations of these traditional groups. The Orcs are the dominant race of this world, though their massive empire is plagued by disease and civil war. The Dwarves have only just learned of the outside world and are eager to integrate themselves more fully into it. The Halflings are fierce defenders of personal freedoms, living in secluded monastic communities. The Humans wage an eternal crusade against a world they see as full of sin. The Elves see themselves as separated from their true divine form and seek enlightenment to return to that godly person. ``` ```

In addition, this offers new rules for character creation. Instead of traits inherit to every member of any race, character creation is now split into biological and cultural factors. The biological factors are many of the standard racial traits from fifth edition - halflings are *lucky* and dwarves have *darkvision* for example - and these are true of anyone of the particular race. However, cultural factors are not determined by biology but by the environment one grew up in. To determine these bonuses roll twice on the relevant cultural table of your characters upbringing. Roll again if you get the same result twice. For example, while any halfling would have a bonus to dexterity, one raised in the heart of the Orcish empire would likely roll off of the "Orc" Cultural Table. This system is designed to create more diversity in character skills and backgrounds while better reflecting their environments. \page ## Dwarves *"While the Eight Clans of Dwarves were perfect in each way, none were truly skilled in every way. And so Moradagi created His masterpiece - the Undying King. This dwarf surpassed each clan in their own skill - the greatest artisan, the greatest warrior, and the longest lived. "*

-- Passage from Rikoshan Inksmith Noriton's *Record of Ancient Matters*

For centuries the dwarves thought the world was naught but endless see beyond their barrier reef. When a Haobon ship blew of course twenty odd years ago and stumbled onto the Dwarven Isles, the dwarves learned just how big the world truly was. ### A World of Endless Sea In the earliest days of the world, the God Moradagi busied himself by creating beautiful landscapes and vistas. Soon though, this was not enough of a challenge for Him. Seeking new projects, he worked on creating life itself. Once he had mastered flowers, trees, and other plants he began creating small creatures. All were as beautiful as they were hardy. But even this was not enough of a cheallenge for the Great Artisan. His masterwork would be the Dwarven people themself and the eight beautiful mountainoous islands they would inhabit. Over time, as their population grew, the limits of these small, rocky islands was stretched. More and more land was needed to feed the demands of the massive population. While some dwarves moved onto the sea in floating homes, even more dug into the old mines. Slowly, the interior of these great mountains were hollowed out to serve as the homes of the overburdened population. Still though, this was not enough to truly alleviate the needs of the dwarves. Over the past few generations, the buried cities have become more and more cramped while the land can only turn out so much. ### The Eight Clans Each and every dwarf belongs to one of eight clans, descendants of the Eight Great Patriarch created by Moradagi Himself. The oldest are the descendants of Oshoka, expert stone masons and architects. The second clan is the Kejoyi, whose resourcefulness has allowed the Dwarves to make miraculous alloys out of their limited resources. Next are the Husiko, creators of the finest jewelry. No one understands trade and wealth better than the Kumesa. The Teteki are amongst the greatest warriors in the world. The medical expertise of the Kinku have helped alleviate the struggles of the over populated lifestyle the dwarves live. While perhaps not as skilled in any field as their brothers, the Genkone are the hardest working and the most dedicated to their mission. The youngest clan is the Rikoshan, recorders of the history of the dwarven people. Although they were all the Children of Moradagi, their early history was marked by internal conflict and civil war. So Moradagi created one last dwarf, his masterpiece the Undying King. This immortal monarch would serve as a mediator between the various interests of the clans and keep the peace on the Eight Mountains. Dwarven physiology is deeply reminiscent of the stone Moradagi originally used to create his people. Their skin is hard and durable, often taking a gray appearance with readily apparent veins marbling their features. In contrast, their clothing, though equally durable, is dyed the bright colors of the coral reefs that surround their islands.

### A Fortuitous Wreck Senghao, a Haobon trader, feared all was lost when his ship was caught in a ferocious storm. When the storm cleared though, he spotted a mountain rising out of the sea. Though the coastline he was familiar with had no such mountains, it was his greatest hope for salvation. When he landed, he was surprised to find the heretofore unknown dwarven people. The Dwarves were even more surprised, forced to come to the realization that not only was the world much larger than they expected, but it was full of other people. A few brave Kumesa traders set sail with Senghao back to the mainland. When they returned with ships full of rice and other goods, the Dwarves scrambled to integrate themselves into this new world. With the devastating plague and civil war the Orcs now face, there are many Dwarves who hope to capitalize on this chaos. Teteki warriors have set sail for the mainland to carve out their own claim, hoping to create a new home for the dwarves. A place where they can live under the open sky and not have to worry about feeding their children. \page ### Dwarven Names Dwarves have three names - their clan, their family, then their given name. **Example Given Names:** Hagan, Tetsa, Isho, Korar, Kinzok, Mizun, Chosek, Kaiyon, Yamar, Shiman **Example Family Names:** Coralhammer, Ironwall, Steelhelm, Stonefist, Gemeye, Silverhewn, Seaforged ### Questions When making a Dwarven character, consider the following questions? Why did you leave the Eight Mountains? Do you support the attempted conquest of the mainland or do you hope for more peaceful cohabitation? ### Dwarf Traits Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Constitution score increases by 2. ***Age.*** Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 200 years. ***Alignment.*** Most dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. ***Size.*** Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor. ***Darkvision.*** Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. ***Dwarven Resilience.*** You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage ### Cultural Tables Roll twice on the following table if you grew up on the Eight Isles. Reroll if you get the same result twice. ##### Dwarves | d6 Roll | Characteristic | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | Investigation Proficiency | |2 | Sleight of hand Proficiency | | 3 | +1 Strength | | 4 | Insight Proficiency | | 5 | Artisan Tools Proficiency (select one) | | 6 | Cast *Identify* at first level once per day| ``` ```

> ### Identify You choose one object that you must touch throughout the casting of the spell. If it is a magic item or some other magic-imbued object, you learn its properties and how to use them, whether it requires Attunement to use, and how many Charges it has, if any. You learn whether any Spells are affecting the item and what they are. If the item was created by a spell, you learn which spell created it. \page ## Elves *"If I could truly understood the beauty of a single flower, I could begin to truly understand the nature of reality. But the path to understanding does not end with the first realisation"*

-- Quote attributed to Pevotar, shortly before their death.

When the god Pevotar was injured, their blood transformed into the Elven people. Since then the Elves have lived pious lives, recreating every detail of Pevotar’s life before their demise, hoping to have their souls rejoin their divine body upon death. ### A Dying God When the world was young, Pevotar wandered the mortal plane hoping to see the ephemeral beauty that could not be recreated in the perfect stasis of Heaven. But the Orcish god Grushau did not like the gods meddling in the lives of mortals and so chased the gods to heaven and created an impenetrable barrier - seen as a series of rings in the sky. Pevotar refused this call - they did little but observe the mortal realm, hardly what Grushau was concerned with. But this was not convincing to that brutal god. Though you cannot truly kill a god, Grushau came close when he impaled Pevotar on the lone mountain rising above the desert, carrying the comatose body with him back to Heaven and creating the Divine Border. But not all of Pevotar was brought back to Heaven. The holy blood that was spilled there brought life to that desert mountaintop. Suddenly, the mountain was covered in blooming trees and lush flowers. Even more surprising though was the birth of the Elves. They were born fully formed and nearly identical - lithe, tall, elegant, with skin the color of blood. Though they could not remember all the details, their combined memories were enough to piece together key aspects of their divine heritage. ### Pious Precision The overwhelming majority of Elves live on the verdant red sandstone mountain that Pevotar themself was impaled upon. There they work to achieve enlightenment and rejoin their celestial form. This is most often done through careful study of Pevotar's last few days and concerted effort to recreate it. Almost every detail of every day is dictated by this divine order - from the cut of their brightly colored silk robes to their vegetarian diet and everything in between. While every elf hopes to achieve enlightenment, it can take millennia for this to be accomplished. If this life cycle is not enough, they will be reincarnated, hopefully learning from their past and moving one step closer to the ultimate goal of their people. ``` ``` ### Ephemeral Pilgrims In sharp contrast to the regimented lives of the Pevotar Elves are the Vindera. Taking their name from the ancient Elven word for rainbow, these Elves wander the world in small bands hoping to personally experience as much of it as they can in their time here. When they rejoin the celestial body of Pevotar, they will bring with them countless new experiences and personal memories. It is their belief that this better reflects the life of Pevotar which will allow them to end the cycle of reincarnation faster than their cousins repeating the same day over and over on the Sacred Mountain. It is likely that any Elf you encounter out of sight of the Sacred Mountain is one of these pilgrims. However, they are a rare sight, especially in major urban centers where they feel too disconnected from the natural world. Instead, one may spy these small migrant communities in the deep wilderness, looking for unspoiled beauty. If you are lucky enough to stumble across one of these parties, it is unlikely you will see them in the same spot ever again. ### Elven Names The elves see themselves as one soul, separated but still connected. As such, they put less emphasis on names, often taking ones based off of distinguishing characteristics to make communication easier, especially with outsiders. **Example Names:** ### Questions Consider the following when making an Elven character. What is the most beautiful thing you have seen in your journeys? Do you believe your soul is close to rejoining the celestial body of Pevotar? ### Elf Traits Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 2. ***Age.*** While Elves are naturally long-lived, their precise age may be hard to determine. At a young age, Elves try to piece together their past lives and consider their true age to be that of their soul - traced back to that fateful day when divine blood was spilled. ***Alignment.*** The lives of the Pevotar Elves tend towards strict structure and as such many tend towards lawful alignments. In contrast, the Vindera Elves in their search for ephemeral beauty tends towards more chaotic alignments. ***Size.*** Elves are generally within a few inches of 6 feet and have slender builds. Your size is Medium. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ***Fey Ancestry.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. ***Trance.*** Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. \page ## Halflings *"I do not concern myself with the ambitions of the gods, neither evil nor good. No, the forces that shape our past do not ask for reverence and the only ones to shape our future are ourselves."*

-- Lan-Zao, Halfling Sage

Scattered across the Five Valleys in small villages and remote monasteries come the Halflings. Fiercely independent, they worship no gods, studying instead the five elements that comprise the universe - Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. ### Small but Fierce At first glance, few would mistake the average halfling for a fighter, but years of subjugation and conquest by their larger neighbors forced them to learn and adapt. Now, nearly every adult halfling has spent years training with an elemental master, learning not only the philosophy of that elemental tradition, but their unique martial forms as well. Most halflings have tan skin or darker, in sharp contrast with their pale blond hair. Their hair itself is often tightly curled, with a woolly texture. Most halflings have hazel, nearly golden, eyes. While halfling men can grow facial hair, that fashion has not caught on. Their clothing is intensely practical, featuring many thick wool layers to combat the bitter cold of their long winters. Their traditional clothing has a high-waisted ankle length skirt of undyed wool. A tight turtleneck is tucked in, with a loose wrap-around jacket on top. A richly embroidered belt dyed the color of their elemental association is one of the few pieces of color in their outfit. ### Community and Friendship Most every halfling loves their home and village above all else. These secluded agricultural towns are hidden in the winding mountainous valleys, usually surrounded by groves of plums or other stone fruits. These towns have no official leader and are essentially independent from each other. A shared culture is all that unites them with the masters of the elemental schools the closest they have to any form of nobility or governance - and that is little more than guidelines and suggestions. Since the Conquests of Quanli, the people of the Five Valleys have been close friends of the Orcish Empire. The Halfling hero Yon-Da was one of three individuals to ever defeat the hero Quanli and the two were close companions ever since. From then on, five halflings have constantly guarded the Orcish Emperor as the Guardian Masters. Many other Halflings have served in high positions throughout the Empire and most imperial communities have at least a couple Halflings living in town. ``` ``` ### Monastic Tradition Most Halflings leave their childhood homes in their mid to late teens looking for a school to train them. They spend the next few years travelling the countryside, until they find a master willing to teach them the associated philosophy, craft, and martial tradition that best suits them. They spend the next decade studying until it is determined they have mastery over the material and are granted the right to wear the belt of their element. A few may stick around to work even more on their ability, hoping to achieve the rank of Grandmaster and passing on their knowledge to the next generation. ### The Five Elements The Five Elements serve as the guiding principles for Halfling philosophy. Most every Halfling has an element they feel closest too and many of the monastic schools are based around these ideas. The element of Water focus on adaptability and change, with their masters able to respond to any situation - though they may never feel truly settled. It is represented by the color blue and seen in the streams and rivers of the valleys. Wood focuses on growth and ambition, striving to become the best version of themselves - though sometimes at the cost of others. The lush bamboo and oak forests of the valleys demonstrate this element, represented by the color green. Fire focuses on one's passion and artistry - though they may often become obsessed and single minded. Aside from hearth fires, this element is also seen in natural hot springs and the color red. Earth focuses on stability and strength, their masters able to withstand anything the world may throw at them - though they frequently end up stubborn to a fault. The rich, fertile soil of the valleys is a clear example and it is represented by an earthen yellow. The final element - Metal - focuses on the unattainable goal of perfection - often leading to never truly feeling complete. This is represented by the color white and seen in the iron veins at the cores of mountains. Those without an elemental affiliation, usually children but also those who have achieved true balance, often wear the color black as it is seen as a blending of all colors. \page ### Halfling Names Halflings tend to only have a single name usually comprised of two monosylabic words hyphenated together. Often these words are virtues or ideals their parents hope they can achieve and exemplify. These names are largely unisex. **Example Names:** Das-Os, Gyuh-Hon, Yo-So, Jay-On, Yeo-Sim, Beo-Nun, Ja-Yu, Keo-Un, Jag-Eun ### Questions Consider the following when making a Halfling character. What is your elemental affiliation? What is the most important lesson your master taught you? ### Halfling Traits Your halfling character has a number of traits in common with all other halflings. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity score increases by 2. ***Age.*** A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and can easily live past 100. ***Alignment.*** Most halflings are chaotic. They see no need for higher authority and are quick to defend their personal freedoms. ***Size.*** Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh about 40 pounds. Your size is Small. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 25 feet. ***Lucky.*** When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. ***Brave.*** You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. ### Halfling Cultural Table Roll twice on the following table if your character was brought up in a Halfling village. Reroll if you get the same result twice. | d6 Roll | Characteristic | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | Nature Proficiency | |2 | Survival Proficiency | | 3 | +1 Ability Score depending on *Elemental Affiliation* | | 4 | Stealth Proficiency | | 5 | Unarmed Strike Proficiency | | 6 | Cast *Absorb Elements* at first level once per day| ``` ```

##### Elemental Affiliation | | | |:----:|:-----| | Water | Dexterity | |Wood | Wisdom | | Fire | Charisma | | Earth | Constitution| | Metal | Intelligence | >### Absorb Elements The spell captures some of the incoming energy, lessening its effect on you and storing it for your next melee attack. You have resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn. Also, the first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage of the triggering type, and the spell ends. \page ## Humans *"When the world was new there was light and darkness. The light coalesced into the divine form of Zarota and his Holy Fire. Meanwhile the darkness seeped into the nascent world, tainting everything with sin."*

-- Opening passage of the *Doctrines of Zarota*

The ancient enemy of the Empire of Qunali is the Hordes of the Righteous, the zealous nomadic humans of the Northern Plains. Their crusade to cleanse the world with the fire of Zarota has recently been reinvigorated by the civil war that envelops the Orcish world. ### A World of Light and Dark According to mankind, the mortal world was corrupted in its earliest days by a pervasive darkness that infected everything with sin. Thankfully, the god Zarota rose to challenge this darkness and prevented it from taking over the whole world. Watching the world from his Solar Throne, he is able to keep the darkness at bay. Unfortunately, the only way to be truly free of this pervasive darkness is with fire. Zarota and his devout followers hope to weaken the forces of darkness enough to allow Zarota to return to the world in his Righteous Fury, consuming everything in fire and recreating the world - this time free of darkness and sin. ### A Holy Crusade In order to better accomplish His goal of destroying and rebuilding the world, Zarota soon recruited the fledgling race of humanity. These early ancestors were stuck wandering the desolate northern steppes. In exchange for joining His Holy Crusade, Zarota would give humanity the tools they needed to survive and bring the Light of Zarota to the World. The first of these gifts was fire itself. With this humanity could survive the cold winters, cook food, and most importantly purge the impure. To this day, fire plays an important role in the life of man. Even with their nomadic lifestyle, every Horde carries a torch that is never extinguished. Burning oils are used to annoint the divine or conduct important ceremonies. Finally, the bodies of the righteous deceased are burned so that mortal sin can be purged and their soul float to the Endless Plains of Heaven The second gift was the horses mankind rides. With these mighty steeds, humanity could rove further afield and strike faster. In the early days of their crusade, the new cavalry tactics of humanity shocked the orcish warbands they most often fought. Even to this day, the greatest struggle they face is navigating the rugged mountains of the Five Valleys and along the northern border of Orcish lands and not the armies they may face. The hierarchy in human society is largely based around one's ability to ride a horse, with little respect for children, the elderly, and the disabled as a result. ``` ```

### Eternal Nomads Humanity is constantly on the move, either to greener pastures for their herds or on the warpath of their god. Much of their society is shaped to this fact of life. There is little agriculture in their life, instead they subsist on hunting and wild vegetables. Their clothes are often made of hide and fur, lightweight but durable and warm. There are no grand cities of mankind, instead they live in magnificent tents, ready to move at a moments notice. Even the appearance of humanity is shaped by this. Even the youngest among them have ruddy faces, weathered by riding constantly through cold winds. Although hair is kept short for both men and women, many men try and grow bushy beards to keep some of the heat in. Human society is organised into various "Hordes" each led by a powerful Khan. While they may be more famous for their martial skill, the Khans are also the leaders of the religious community. These groups are not meant to last longer than the lifetime of their founder, though the strongest sons of a Khan often go on to found their own Hordes, pulling many of their father's followers with them. \page ### Human Names Humans have a given name followed by the name of the Horde they ride with. **Example Given Names:** Betu, Foraz, Gerel, Izim, Nargu, Umod, Yalduz, Zarna, Zitor **Example Horde Names:** Azat, Batna, Nurzan, Torza, Zarit ### Questions When making a human character, consider the following questions. Do you still believe in the Righteous Crusade of Zarota? How long have you lived away from the steppes? ### Human Traits It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Constitution score increases by 2. ***Age.*** Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century. ***Alignment.*** Humans tend to believe in the strict dogma of the Church of Zarota and often have lawful alignments as a result. ***Size.*** Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to just over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ***Eternal Flame.*** When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. ***Born to the Saddle*** You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated. Mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. ``` ``` ### Human Cultural Table Roll twice on the following table if you grew up with the Righteous. Reroll if you get the same result twice. | d6 Roll | Characteristic | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | Survival Proficiency | |2 | Religion Proficiency | | 3 | +1 Wisdom | | 4 | Animal Handling Proficiency | | 5 | Shotbow Proficiency | | 6 | Cast *Thunderous Smite* at first level once per day| > ### Thunderous Smite The first time you hit with a melee weapon attack, your weapon makes a thunderous boom that spans 300 feet from you. The attack deals an extra 2d6 thunder damage. Additionally, if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength save or be pushed 10 feet away from you and knocked prone \page ## Orcs *"One needs strength of mind to recognize right from wrong, strength of character to act upon that, and strength of body to insure that good is accomplished."*

-- From the Analects of Qunali

Four centuries ago, Quanli united the Orcs under one Empire before going on to usurp the Throne of Heaven. Since then her descendants have ruled the unquestionably most powerful state in the known world, built upon the three pillars of strength. ### Ancient Strength In their earliest days, the Orcs worshiped Grushau who taught them three simple commands - strengthen yourself, conquer the weak, and seize what you can. Chaos covered the land at this time with constant fighting between every Orc hoping to claim as much as they could, fighting amongst themselves to establish some kind of hierarchy. From time to time, great warlords would bring great numbers of orcs together. The strongest of these bands would barely outlast their founding warlord, with many more falling to infighting after only a few years. However, seven warlords would leave a lasting impact on the orcs, founding the Seven Tribes - Chaentung, Daechen, Longdai, Xaibo, Farmous, Haobon, and Nungton. These tribes have unique cultures and dialects to this day. Only the physically strongest of the orcs could survive these turbulent times. Even now, most Orcs are physically massive, with most men over 8 feet and the women easily surpassing 9 feet. ### Three Pillars of Strength It was into this time of constant fighting that the great hero Quanli was born. After watching her father and elder brothers die in fruitless attacks against a physically dominant force, she recognized the importance of strength of mind, using tactics to overcome the foes that had decimated her family. Instead of slaughtering the defeated in vengeance for her fallen kin, Quanli offered them a place in her band, earning their undying loyalty. With a loyal band of warriors, Quanli set out to expand her rule of justice and strength. Soon all of the Longdai tribe was united under one banner once again. But this was not enough for Quanli. Over the next few decades, she would bring all but one tribe together under one banner. Only the Farmous were able to resist the overwhelming strength of the armies of Quanli. While her conquests were ruthless, her reign was just. Soon all came to recognize that the strength of the Orcs was greater when they worked together and treated each other fairly. The ancient tennants of Grushau were questioned and weakened. ``` ```

t Even the conquest of the world was not enough for this hero. Recognizing that it was Grushau that had brought such chaos and suffering to the Orcs, Quanli swore that he must be deposed and a new god should sit upon the Throne of Heaven. When she died and went to the Heavenly Realm, she found the other gods fearful and meak. Unwilling to let the tyrant rule any longer though, she personally challenged Grushau for the throne. After an epic battle across the heavens Quanli triumphed, ripping Grushau's eye out and imprisoning him in a hell dimension. As she seized the Throne of Heaven, she recognized the gaps in her knowledge and promoted her loyal lieutenants from her mortal campaigns to godhood of other aspects that they exceeded her. \page ### Crisis of the Throne During her conquests Quanli made two hundred and seventy seven to various people and groups. To insure that these promises were kept in perpetuity, she used powerful magic to bind not only herself, but her descendants to upholding their end of the bargain. These promises now form a sort of constitution for the empire, covering everything from tax codes to foreign relations to religious ceremonies. Before she died, Quanli established three tests to insure that only the strongest could rule the empire. An elaborate obstacle course weeded out the physically weakest. Next, the claimants must prove their strength of mind by writing a work eligible for acceptance to the Imperial Library. Finally, to test the strength of their character, the claimant must perform a complex ritual to speak with their deceased ancestors and be judged on their thoughts as well as their actions. Thanks to these strenuous Challenges of the Throne, the Empire of Quanli has only been led by the best and brightest. However, a recent plague has struck the imperial capital of Shenquan, claiming the life of the Emperor and the most qualified claimants. In the wake of this crisis, the surviving advisors elevated the child Lioben to the position of emperor, though he had no chance of completing the Challenges of the Throne. The advisors believed that his strong blood ties to Quanli and requirement to enforce the Promises of Quanli made him the best candidate though. Offended by this slight to tradition, the chief of the Daechen tribe - Ceuceu - put forward her own claim to the throne. Citing her ability to complete the Challenges of the Throne, she has brought many local leaders to her cause, tearing the once powerful empire into civil war and chaos unseen since Quanli ascended the Throne of Heaven. ``` ``` ### Orc Names Orcs usually have three names - their tribe, a revered ancestor, and a given name. The name of the revered ancestor functions in much the same way as a family name. **Example Given Names:** Qiando, Gungli, Yuali, Jorui, Jinsha, Digushu, Gonshon, Mengshi, Daodi, Sanbi ### Questions When making an Orc character, consider the following questions. What is your greatest strength? What do you hope to strengthen ? ### Orc Traits Your Orc character has the following racial traits. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 2. ***Age*** Ores have a similar lifespan to most humans, reaching adulthood in their late teens and rarely making it to 100. ***Alignment.*** Orcs are deeply respectful to hierarchies founded on the strength of the individual, favoring lawful alignments as a result. ***Size.*** Ores are usually well over 8 feet tall and weigh between 530 and 580 pounds. Your size is Medium. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ***Overwhelming Strength.*** When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. ***Powerful Build.*** You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. ### Orcish Cultural Table Roll twice on the following table if you were raised in the Empire of Quanli. Reroll if you get the same result twice. ##### Orcs | d6 Roll | Characteristic | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | History Proficiency | |2 | Athletics Proficiency | | 3 | +1 Constitution | | 4 | Persuasion Proficiency | | 5 | Polearms Proficiency | | 6 | Cast *Divine Favor* at first level once per day| > ### Divine Favor Your prayer empowers you with divine radiance. For the next minute, your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d4 radiant damage on a hit. \page ##### Elves | d6 Roll | Characteristic | |:----:|:-------------| | 1 | Nature Proficiency | |2 | Arcana Proficiency | | 3 | +1 Wisdom | | 4 | Insight Proficiency | | 5 | Longbow Proficiency | | 6 | Cast *Healing Word* at first level once per day| > ### Healing Word A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

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